NC State men’s rugby could not have asked for a better season with a young corps after losing many seniors last season. One huge reason for that level of success is the consistent dominance of senior wing Mende Carlton. The team finished the regular season at 4-2 and just knocked off the third-ranked Salisbury Sharks to move the team into the National Playoffs. The team will take on the St. Joseph Hawks, who are undefeated and outscored opponents 364-117 in the regular season.
“First and foremost, we just need to win,” Carlton said. “Whether that is fixing how our playstyle is, we want to be able to play smart, fast, creative rugby in that we are not going to be the biggest team always, we might not always be able to win the big guy game, so we have to be able to work it wide. Give our big guys in the middle time to rest so we can get it back to them so they can keep doing their thing, making tackles, making big plays.”
The team has to feel like it is in good hands with Carlton paving the way, torching opponents on the side and continuing to strike when the iron is hot. Carlton finished the season leading the Chesapeake Collegiate Rugby Conference (CCRC) with 11 tries while starting seven games. In the victory over Salisbury, Carlton did not record any tries but did record three tackles showing his versatility as a player. Being a leader also means that Carlton is doing any and everything head coach Brian Ketchum is asking of him.
“My main position is wing and the wing’s job is to score,” Carlton said. “We might not touch the ball very often, but if you get the ball in space, you’re expected to do something with it. I can play fullback which is kind of like the safety [in football], where you have to guard against the kicks to make sure nothing is getting behind, but they can also work their way into the back line. I can play a little bit of center as well, but we have [senior Greg Amaty], [senior Darren Murphy] and [junior Mayo Ogunmola] there so I do not have to do that as much.”
Despite doing a little bit of everything for the team, Carlton still sees areas where he can improve his game or take it to another level.
“I feel like I can get more involved,” Carlton said. “Sometimes I can get stuck just hanging out on the wing waiting for something to come my way, whereas I could get more involved in the rucking, and I could get more involved in getting the ball in plays where it is not even supposed to get to me, and making sure that if someone gets a break, and I am there in support, that I get the finish.”
Carlton actually came onto the team never having played rugby in his life. This is opposed to other players on the team such as graduate Thabani Mtsi, who have lengthy rugby ties throughout their life. Carlton came onto the team as a sophomore and has played exceedingly well for the team, learning everything quickly.
“Shout out to my boy Joe Piscopio,” Carlton said. “He’s two years older than me, and his senior year was my sophomore year. I was playing intramural flag football my freshman year, and Joe [Piscopio] and I happened to be on the same team. I remember over the summer he told me ‘You need to come out and play rugby, you’re really athletic, and I’m sure you’ll enjoy it,’ and I loved playing intramural sports, and I still play them now, but I had missed the competitive aspect of high school sports in general, so I figured I would go out there and just give it a shot. Due to a couple injuries, I was able to get my shot and just stayed out there and helped contribute.”
Carlton comes from a very athletic background, with much of his family having played sports or currently playing sports for other colleges. While rugby is very different from other sports, Carlton was able to pick up some valuable lessons from having played these sports.
“I’ve played multiple sports my entire life,” Carlton said. “My main two growing up were football and baseball. I played a little basketball, ran track, and I had also wrestled for a bit. My family is a huge sports family. All my siblings play sports, my little sisters, they’re twins, one is a thrower at Elon University, and the other plays soccer at Cape Fear Community College, and my brother played the same sports I did. So I’d say my background of these other sports helped me transition into rugby so quickly.”
On top of prior sports providing aid to Carlton, he extends his thanks to the support system he has had on the team over the years.
“Really just the support from the guys helped me adjust,” Carlton said. “They were so quick to tell me how I could help the team out. The mentors I had on the team above me really helped me to transition.”
Now, Carlton is hoping to extend the aid he got from mentors in his year’s prior to players on the team now. Seeing himself in some of the players on the roster has been uplifting for Carlton and is a good sign for the continued culture of this team.
“I got to say [freshmen] Stephen Thompson, Luke McPherson and [senior] Mo Elyaman,” Carlton said of who he sees himself in. “Really I’m just giving them the same tips and pointers that I was given. At the end of the day in the game, trust your instincts, just trust yourself, don’t try and think too much because when you do that, you hesitate, and when you hesitate that’s when bad stuff happens. Just being there for whatever decision they make for support. Not bad or negative criticism, just telling them ‘Hey this is where you can get better, and I’m always here for you if you need it.’”
Carlton’s rise to success has been critical to where this team can go. Extending his knowledge and leadership to younger players will prove necessary for continued success for the future of NC State men’s rugby, and continuing their impressive ascent to dominance over the last few years.
The club rugby team will travel to ECU to take on the St. Joseph’s Hawks on Nov. 24. The game begins at 11 a.m.
